I painted this on July 8th, the anniversary of Tom Thomson's death.
Actually he probably died late in the evening on this date and his body hit the waters of Canoe Lake at 12:15 am on Monday July 9th. 1017. That is a long story and no one really knows anyway. Tom's watch stopped at about that time but everyone thought it was early on Sunday afternoon and his watch was just a half hour slow. I have always been much more interested in his art and life rather than the mystery of his death. I have presented "Tom Thomson Was a Weatherman" many, many times starting in the mid 1980's. Tom was passionate about the weather and the nature of Canada. For me, weather also provided a long and interesting career.
Tom's other passion was fishing. His artist firend, J.E.H MacDonald took this photo of Tom fiddling with a silver trout spoon in 1915-1916. You could criticize Tom's art but he did not take kindly to anyone finding flaws in his fishing.
The canoes were lined up ready to head down the Mattawa after completing the Talon Portage. I had climbed the cliff to achieve this interesting vantage. Finding new Canadian subject matter for me has been typically as simple as just turning around and looking in the other direction. This was the case all up and down the Mattawa. The Mattawa River name is derived from the Algonkian, Mattawa which means "junction of waterways" or "river with walls that echo its current". This section of the river explains the second possible meaning. In the exploration and fur trade era of 1610 to the 1800's, its nine rapids and two falls were portaged by voyageurs carrying birch bark freight canoes. It was perhaps the most demanding waterway between Lachine and Fort William (Thunder Bay). Today, Mattawa River and Samuel de Champlain Provincial Parks protect the river. For its outstanding historical natural and recreational value, the Mattawa was designated a Canadian Heritage River in January 1988.
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